Automatic means for controlling car loaders



Sept, 23, 1930. c. H. FUGLE :r'AL 7 2 AUTOH A'I'IC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING CAR LOADEHS Filed May 7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 23, 1930. FUGLE ET AL 1,776,623

AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR con-momma cm LOADERS Filed May 7, 192a z Sheets-Shoat 2 Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. FUGLE, CHARLES H. OSTENBEBG, W MAGLEIN,

TRU'DO, F DULUTH, MINNESOTA AND JOSEYH I.

AUTOMATIC MEAN S FOR CONTROLLING CAR LOADERS Application filed May 7,1926. Serial No. 107,411.

This invention relates to a new and improved car loader, and more particularly to an automatic means for controlling the operation of the loader.

Measuring loaders of this general type are used in connection with charging cars for blast furnaces and the like, to measure out the desired quantities of ore, fuel or other material, and are also of wide use in connection with other operations in which. it is important to load a car with a definite amount of material. I I

It is an object of the present invention to provide a car loader and control therefor, adapted to automatically discharge a predetermined amount of material into-a car or similar receptacle.

It isa further object to provide a construction of this character in which the filling of the measuring box is controlled and stopped when a predetermined load has been deposited therein.

It is also an object to provide a construction in which the measuring box cannot be dumped until it has received the desired load, and in which the box cannot receive additional material until it is fully dumped and returned to the receiving position.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

We have illustrated a preferred embodiment .of our invention somewhat diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the loading apparatus with a car located thereunder; and I Figure 2 is a view. of Figure 1 as seen from the left.

,a reciprocating bottom 13. This bottom 13 'is supported by rollers 14 from the track 15.

The bottom 13 is connected by rods 16 to the bell crank lever 17, which is pivotally sup- I ported at 18. The opposite arm 19 of the bell The loading mechanism comprises the hopper 11 discharges into a chute 12, having crank lever 17 is connected byrods 20 to the crank pin 21, eccentrically located on the drive disk 22.

This drive disk 22 is driven by a motor 23 through the gears 24 and 25. This drive is 5 controlled by a clutch 26 by means of which the gearsmay be connected or disconnected from the motor 23; The clutch is operated by compressedair controlled by the air valve 27. This valve is operatedby a solenoid 28 .50 located in the electrical circuit 29. p The circuit 29 is controlled by a switch 30 operated by means of the ush rod 31, which will be more fully descri ed hereafter. The circuit 29 is also controlled by the switch 32 operated on by the ush rod 33. The opposite end of this pus rod 33 is connected by link 34 to the pivot 35 of'the small swinging door 36, located in, the sloping bottom of the hopper 11. The door 36 is counter-balancedby the ad'ustable weight 37 on the rod 38.

he measuring box 39 is pivotally supported upon the trunnions 40 from the tilting frame 41. This frame 41 is pivotally supported at .42 from the fixed frame 43; The 76 lock-shaft 44 is supported from the left end of the tilting frame 41 by the members 45, as bestshown in Figure 1. The shaft 44 has the switch operating lever 46 keyed thereto. The outer end of this lever 46 engages the 3 lower end of the push rod 31, and is adapted, to force that rod upwardly against, the resistance of thespring 47 to close the switch 30. Also keyed to the shaft 44 are the catch operating levers 48. The outer end of them; levers 48 are connected by links 49 to the catch arms 50, whicharepivotally supported at 51 from the tilting frame 41.

The operating lever 52 is also keyed to the cross-shaft 44. The lower end of this lever 52 is pivotally connected to the rod 53 which carriesthe latch operating contact member 54. j The opposite end of the rod 52 is connected by link 55 with the lever 56, which latteris pivotally supported at 57 from the member 58 carried by the fixed frame 43. The outer end 56' of the lever 56 is engaged by the cross member .59 carried by the tilting frame 41. The cross member 60 of the tilting frame41 is adapted to carry a variable number of counter-balancing members 61. The bell crank lever 62 is pivoted at 63 to the cross member 64 of the fixed frame 43. This bell crank lever has a notch 65 formed in its upper arm adapted to receive a corner of the cross member 66 of the tilting frame 41. The lower arm 67 of the bell crank lever 62 is adapted to be engaged by the corner 68 of the measuring box 39. This corner of the box may be weighted as indicated in broken lines at 69. The clock-wise movement of the measuring box is limited by the arm 70, adapted to engage the stop lug 71, carried by the cross member 66 of the tilting frame '41.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2, the vertical arms 72 are pivotally supported at 73 fromthe fixed frame 43. The upper portions of the member 72 are connected by the toggle links 74, thecenter pivot of the toggle being connected by red 75 to the end piece 76 of the tilting frame 41. The upperends' of the member 72are urged together by the spring 77, carried on rod '78. The angle member 79 extends across the fixed frame 43 below the end-of the tilting frame 41, and serves to limit the downward movement of 7 that frame.

The car 80' is shown located below the measuring box on a track indicated at 81.

This car 80 carries an arm 82 adapted to engage the latch operating contact member 54,

as will hereafter be described.

The material is stored in the hopper 11 and j'Iuns freely from the hopper down on to the terial. Referring reciprocating floor 13. This flow is limited,

however, by the angle of repose of the maparticularly to Figure 2, the weight of the material in the hopper will thrust against the-swinging door 36, thus rotating the shaft 35 in the. counter-clockwise direction. This movement of the shaft 35 serves to swing the rod 33 to the right and thus close the'switch 32. The measuring box 39 being empty and in the position shown in Figure l, the arm 46 thrusts the push rod 36 upwardly and thus closes the switch 30.

"The electrical circuit 29 is thus closed and the solenoid 28 is energized. This serves to 0pcrate the air valve27 and to operate the air clutch to connect the motor 23 to the driving gears. The rods 20 are reciprocated and by means of the bell crank lever 17 and rods 16, the floor 13 is reciprocated on the track 15. This causes a constant flow of material.

off the'end of the floor 13 into the measuring box 39.

When the box 39 has received a predetermined amount of material, this box and the tilting frame 41, will be tilted forward, as seen in Figure 2, or in the counter-clock-wise direction, as seen in Figure 1. It will be noted that the .trunnions 42 are located off 7 center relative to the center of mass of the load inv the box, so that the tilting moment will be caused by the eccentricity of the load.

This tilting is resisted by the spring 77, which controls the toggle arrangement shown best in Figure 2. When the eccentric load overcomes the strength of the spring, the toggle links 74 are pulled down past their straight line position and snap into their lower position by reason of the spring. The forward end of the tilting frame then engages the transverse angle bar 79, which limits the tiltmg movemen As this movement takes place the arm 46 is swung downwardly away from the push rod 31 and the spring 47 causes the rod to follow down and the, switch 30 is thus opened. The circuit 29 being open, the solenoid 28 is 'de-energized and the valve 27 operated to unclutch the drive gears from the motor. 'This stops the movement of the reciprocating floor, and stops the loading ofthe tilting measuring box. It will be noted also that if the quantity of material in the hopper 11 falls below the level of the door 36,that door will swing to the left or in the clockwise direction, and the push rod 33 will be drawn to the left opening the switch 32; Thus the U the lever 56. The lever 56 swings in the counter-clock-wise direction about its pivot 57. This lowers the latch operating contact member 54 down into a position to be engaged by the member 82 carried by a car sent under the box. vVhen the car moves under the box towards the left, as seen in Figure 1, the arm thrusts the member 54 to the left and this swings the lever arm 52 in the clock-wise di rection. This serves to rotate the shaft 44 in. the clock-wise direction, and the arms 48 through the links 49 swing the catch arms 50 in the counter-clock-wise direction. As soon as the catch arms clear the catch lugs the load in the measuring box 39 causes that box to swing forwardly or in the counter-clockwise direction about the trunnions 40. It will be noted that the front of the box 39 is closed by the curved apron 83, which is carried by the tilting frame 41. This apron does not swing with the box and consequently the ma terial is dumped from the box into the car.

As soon as the material leaves the measuring 'box the counter-balance member 69 in the corner of the box, causes it to rotate in the clock-wise direction back to the loading position. As the stop lugs pass the catch arms 50 the lugs to lock the box in loading position.

the box engages the arm 67 of the bell crank lever 62 and tilts that lever in the counterclock-wise direction, thus withdrawing the notch 65 from enga ement with the cross member 66. As the x reaches its loading position, the load becomes greater to the right of the trunnions 42, and the tilting frame is titled in the clockwise direction until the toggle construction snaps to its upper position, as shown in Figure 2. The member 59engages the end of the lever 56 and swings it in the clock-wise direction, so as to lift the member 54 up out of the path of the operating member 82 carried by a car. As the tilting frame moves in the clock-wise direction, the arm 46 thrusts upwardly on the push rod 31, closing the switch 30 and causing a repetition of the cycle of operation.

While we have shown one preferred form of construction by way of illustration it is to be understood that we contemplate such changes and modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Car loading apparatus comprisin a tilting measuring box, a pivoted support or said box, said box having filling, ready and dump positions, means controlling the supply of material to the box, and means engaging sai control means permitting sup 1 of material only when the box isin the filling position, and means maintaining the box in the ready position.

2. Car loading apparatus comprising a tilting measuring box, means for supplying material to the box, a fixed frame, a tilting frame pivoted upon the fixed frame, a pivoted support for the measuring box on the tilting frame whereby the box may be tilted about said pivot for dumping, and a spring toggle yieldingly resisting movement of the tilting frame relative to the fixed frame, said toggle being of such strength as to yield when the box has received a predetermined load of material.

3. Car loading apparatus comprising a measuring box, a fixed frame, a tilting frame, a pivoted support for the box on the tilting frame whereby the box may be tilted about said pivot for dum ing, a positive latch carried by the tilting rame for preventing tilting of the box, latch operating means pivoted to the fixed frame and held normally out of operative position by the pivoted frame, and means whereby the latch operating means is moved to position where it may be operated when the tilting frame tilts about its pivot.

4. Material measuring apparatus com riS- ing a tilting measuring box, means for eeding material to the box, a spring toggle normally maintaining the box in receiving position, said toggle being adapted to break and permit the box to move to a position ready for tilting when the box has received a predetermined amount, of material.

5. Material measuring apparatus comprising a tilting measuring box, power operated means ,for feedin material to the box, a spring toggle norma ly maintaining the box in receiving position, said toggle being adapted to break and permit the box to move to a position ready for tilting when the box has received a predetermined amount of material, said movement serving to cut off the power to the material feeding means.

6. Car loading apparatus comprising a tilting measuring box, a fixed frame, a tilting frame pivotally supported on the fixed frame, the box being pivoted to the tilting frame, a yielding latch preventing tilting movement of the tilting frame in one direction, and a positive latch preventing movement of the tilting frame in the return direction.

7. Car loading apparatus comprising a tilting measuring box, a fixed frame, a tilting frame pivotally supported on the fixed frame, the box being pivoted to the tilting frame, a yielding latch preventing tilting movement of the tilting frame in one direction, a positive latch preventing movement of the tilting fame in the return direction, and means whereby a return movement of the box releases said positive latch.

8. Car loading apparatus comprising a measuring box, a tilting frame supporting the box, a fixed frame supporting the tilting frame, a latch for the box, release means for the latch pivoted to the fixed frame and engaging the tilting frame, whereby tilting movement of the tilting frame permits the latch release to move to a position where it may beoperated.

Signed at Duluth, Minn, this 23d day of April, 1926.

CHARLES H. FUGLE. CHARLES H. OSTENBERG. ALBERT W. MAGLEIN. JOSEPH M. TRUDO. 

